After launching the M3 chip in the 14-inch MacBook Pro last October, Apple has updated the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air with the faster chips in the same thin and light design.
Along with the M3 chip—8-Core CPU/8-Core GPU in the base 13-inch model; 8-Core CPU/10-Core GPU in all other configurations—Apple has also upgraded the Wi-Fi from 6 to 6E and added support for up to two external displays when the lid is closed. Previous MacBook Air models only supported a single display, as does the M3 MacBook Pro.
Otherwise, the new MacBook Air is identical to the M2 models, with the same 13.6- or 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display, thin aluminum enclosure, MagSafe charging, 18-hour battery life, and 1080p FaceTime HD camera. They are available in the same four colors: midnight, starlight, silver, and space gray.
Pricing is also the same, with the 13-inch MacBook Air starting at $1,099 and the 15-inch model starting at $1,299 with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. One notable change to the lineup is that the M1 model has been retired and the M2 Air has taken its place as the $999 model.
The M3 MacBook Air is available for preorder beginning today and will begin shipping on Friday, March 8. With the announcement, it appears as though Apple will forgo a spring event this year and will instead issue press releases for its new product launches. We’re still waiting for new iPads and possibly an M3 Mac mini to arrive this month, so stay tuned.
This article originally appeared on macworld.com.
Author: Michael Simon, Executive Editor, Macworld
Michael Simon has been covering Apple for more than 20 years. He started covering rumors with Spymac when the iPod was the iWalk, and has owned nearly every iPhone Apple has ever made. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, son, and far too many gadgets.